Indian cinema theme of first Seychelles India Day

Victoria (Seychelles), Sep 5: Indian cinema will be the theme of the first Seychelles India Day that will be celebrated in this picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago of 115 islands during Oct 4-6.

To be an annual feature from now, Seychelles India Day will be celebrated on the weekend succeeding the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Oct 2, the Indian high commission here said.

This inaugural cultural fiesta is being jointly organised by the Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and the Indian high commission in collaboration with the local business community.

Given India's symbiotic relationship with Seychelles through the Indian-origin people, who constitute seven percent of the island's population of less than 90,000 people, the smallest among Africa's 54 nations, the theme for the celebrations has been designated as "100 years of Indian Cinema".

The high commission said that on the occasion "top performers from the Indian film industry would showcase India's music and movies to Seychelles". India will be celebrated through its food, music and movies.

Indians have been among the earliest settlers of Seychelles, mostly from Tamil Nadu and of late from Gujarat, who came as labour, petty traders, construction workers and more recently as professionals. The Indian community comprises Seychellois of Indian origin in their first or second generations, or even older.

The current Seychelles-India annual trade is a little more than $50 million. Indian business presence in the island off the African coast includes those of the Bank of Baroda, Bharti Airtel and Telecommunications Consultants of India. The TATA group has supplied most of the buses for public transport in Seychelles capital Victoria. India's Polaris Software Lab is currently developing the banking services in Seychelles.